


Sugar In Her Smile

by ohHOLYmoves



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:28:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohHOLYmoves/pseuds/ohHOLYmoves
Summary: “Excuse me,” Fingers curl around the inside of Beau’s elbow from behind and she allows herself to be gently turned around, meeting bright lavender eyes set beneath dark manicured brows sharpened by carefully applied makeup, “Maybe you’re looking for me? Hopefully you’re looking for me.”A blind date modern AU
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett
Comments: 9
Kudos: 268





	Sugar In Her Smile

“This better not be a fucking prank, dude, or I swear to god I’ll kick your ass.”

“Even when I’m doing you a favor—do you ever just, you know, chill out?” Fjord’s words were sharp as ever but the slight smile of his as he drove them was enough to keep Beau at ease. Strictly speaking, Beau didn’t really do this sort of thing but lately Beau has been in a bit of a dry spell and she’s been feeling the effects of it. She’s lonely. Fjord—the stand up fucking guy—was perceptive enough to notice it and had so generously offered to help by setting her up with a friend of his friend. A blind date.

Beau had said fuck no and expected it to be dropped at that and, originally, it had been. Except for the fact that Beau has been lonely and coming home to no one has really fucking sucked lately. So, she broke down and agreed to the stupid blind date and whatever that could mean for her. He was too pumped about it. It made Beau suspicious.

“She better not be straight.”

“Come on man, give me some credit. I wouldn’t do that to you.” He’s driving her there since it was decided, by he and the friend of Caleb’s, that if it was going to be a blind date then they shouldn’t get to decide where they are going either. To add more flavor to the mystery. It sounded like the perfect set up to ambush to Beau.

“Then why the fuck are you so excited about this?”

Fjord rolls his eyes, “Because, dickhead, I’m your friend and as weird as it might be for you to believe, your friends want good things for you. And, I’m telling you right now this girl is perfect for you. If you don’t want to propose by the end of the night, I’ll eat my wallet.”

“Hope you’re hungry.”

“Cynic.”

Beau tugs on her seat belt with a frown, glancing out the window to watch the city slowly give way to country side. They had been driving for nearly two hours now. Whoever this girl was, she must be something if Fjord was willing to drive all the way from Port Damali to Nicodranas. Once again, Beau wishes she could get more information on her other than a name and a brief description of what she looks like. Jester. A cute name. Fjord had said she liked to dye her hair different colors and that currently it was blue. She had a lot of tattoos, little taller than Beau, lots of freckles. He didn’t give her much to go on, just enough to pick her from a crowd. She’ll admit, if it was meant to peak her interest then it did just as intended but she wasn’t a dullard. She had been tricked before. There is a reason Beau doesn’t do blind dates and it’s not just because she’s giving all the power to another person by trusting them.

That was before, though, with a different group of friends who did her wrong and left her high and dry. Fjord isn’t like that. He’s proved it on more than one occasion and he’s right, she should give him more credit. It’s just hard.

“Are we almost there?”

“’Bout fifteen more minutes. Nott is bringing her outside of the city.”

“Nott—the one I met at Caleb’s party last week?”

“Yeah—hey, get your fucking feet off my dash, the fuck is wrong you,” He reaches over to swat at her and she chuckles, easily avoiding his lame slaps, “if there are footprints on there you’re cleaning my car when you get home.”

“Before or after you eat your wallet?”

“Holy fuck—you’re always damn negative. Why are you like this, hm? Who hurt you?”

Beau laughs again but its less fun, full of an old hurt that never seems to go away, “What are you, my fuckin’ therapist now too?”

“Might as well be.”

“Whatever.” She leans over the counsel to sock him hard in the arm and nods proudly when he winces with a hiss and rubs at the spot. They give each other a lot of shit but really its nice for both to have this constant, solid comfort in one another. Beau hasn’t known him for as long as she has Caleb—only met him through Caleb—but he very quickly and very easily inserted himself into her life. And for all the shit they gave each other, he had never actively set out to hurt her or sabotage her. She can calm down.

Biting the blunt tip of her thumb nail, she glances over at him and his relaxed posture. It’s embarrassing but she really does hope he’s right about this.

“You really think she’s, like, girlfriend material or whatever?”

He grins and there’s nothing but genuine care and love in the smile, “I wanna be the best man at your wedding.”

She nods and feels the flutters of excitement tickle that back of her neck, filling her with a sudden energy that has her adjusting from her slump to get a better look outside, “Alright, alright, fine. I’m kind of in.”

“Well that’s a relief ‘cause we’re almost there. Here,” He twists to reach into the backseat without taking his eyes off the road and produces a jean jacket covered in an array of different kinds of patches, “you gotta wear this. It’s what she’ll be looking for.”

Beau slides into it with a twisted face, “I’ve been looking for this fuckin coat for a week.”

“We’ve been planning how to get you to say yes for two.”

They pull off the main road onto a short dirt road taking them beneath a large wooden banner sign proudly proclaiming the name of some large farm. In the distance Beau can see the sun glinting off hundreds of parked cars guarding a cluster of brightly colored tents and twinkling amusement rides. The small of fried bread and meats is thick in the air wafting through their opens windows. A cluster of kids with cotton candy sticky on their cheeks run past their car to get to the nearest ride, wooden swords hanging from their belts.

Beau pulls back from the window to level a deadpan stare on Fjord, “Did you seriously plan a date at a fair?”

Fjord looks utterly pleased with himself, dimples hidden behind his new beard but surely present what with his shit eating grin, “You said you never got to go to one as a kid. Two birds, one stone, as they say. Besides, this is a big deal in Nicodranas. They do this every year to celebrate some minor holiday that only really exists here. Come on, you’re excited, admit it.”

“Yeah dude, duh. I wanna ride that fucker,” She points at the big mushroom shaped ride with hundreds of swings dangling from it and spinning at high speeds, fluxing up and down in height as it does, “but like, I’m gonna look like a fuckin’ nerd in front her.”

“Trust me, I’ve met Jester and that’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Here’s your bracelet—gets you on all the rides for free, as many times as you want—”

“You’re the best Fjord, for real.”

“—Nott gave her one too. She’s supposed to be waiting for you in the food area. She’ll be the one wearing pink.”

Beau waits for him to elaborate but he offers nothing else and she holds out a hand, face pinching, “That’s it? You’re sending me into that thing with _she’s the one wearing pink_?”

“She’s the one wearing pink who has fuckin’ blue hair and full sleeve tattoos—I mean, fuck else you need? She’s real hot. Can’t miss her.”

“Alright, fine. Wish me luck?” She holds up a fist.

He bumps his against hers, “You don’t need it.”

This place is bigger than it looks and there is more people than Beau was expecting even after Fjord made it clear this is a popular event. Navigating the crowds is difficult for someone who is quite the opposite of tactile and not what’s considered overly friendly. People working booths shout at her and grab for her, thrusting different products into her hands before she can object. By the time she finds the food court she’s harried from a roving pack of shitheads and five bucks cheaper after being talked into a flower crown.

She toys with it as she scans the crowds milling around the semi-circle of food trucks and mass of shaded benches for pink and blue. Lots of tattoos or pink and blue but none of them coupled together to form the date Beau is blindly searching for. She already feels foolish before she’s even decided to dive into the fray and go from table to table because, Christ, that’s a desperate move. Maybe she could just stand over here a little bit longer, let the tables clear out some, so she can get a better look.

“Excuse me,” Fingers curl around the inside of Beau’s elbow from behind and she allows herself to be gently turned around, meeting bright lavender eyes set beneath dark manicured brows sharpened by carefully applied makeup, “Maybe you’re looking for me? Hopefully you’re looking for me.” 

Blue hair. It’s a short bob that’s got that movie quality bed head look, perfectly tussled and framing her small heart shaped face. It’s vivid against her pale skin but makes the smatter of freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks stand out attractively. Pink. Her matte lipstick is bubble gum pink to match her cinched crop top covered in an intricate floral pattern. Her long skirt that swishes around her ankles matches the top. Tattoos. They curl around both exposed shoulders and down her arms to her wrists and around the fingers of one hand. She can see the edges of one from beneath the hem of her crop top, framing the underside of her breasts. A few lone bees buzz across her ribs, small simple dotted lines and soft greys.

Fjord is right. There is no fucking way she could have missed this woman.

“Yeah, definitely I’m looking for you. Jester?”

Jester beams and the light of that smiles reaches every corner of her expression, lighting it better than the sun overhead could bother trying to, “Yes! I’m Jester and you’re Beauregard. Right?”

“You can call me Beau. Oh, do you like flowers? I bought this…maybe for you?” She holds up the crown and Jester actually claps her hands together like some sort of Disney princess. All her expressions are so animated and colorful, filled with a kind of joy that must be so deep inside her that it can’t be faked. Beau has never met anyone capable of that kind of truth. She’s dizzy already.

“Really? Yes, please. Put it on me.” She bends—her wedges make her taller than Beau by a generous couple of inches—and waits for Beau to slide the crown over her head. Her hair is incredibly soft and the sweet cloying smell of it makes her head spin. The crown is made of a series of bright green leaves and milky flowers speckled by orange and pink and they look lovely against the vivid color of Jester’s hair. Jester lifts her fingers to prod at it gently, adjusting it the smallest bit, and feels a soft petal.

“It—you’re really pretty.” The compliment comes out gruff the way most things do when Beau tries. Usually it gets a sneer or an eye roll that sets the night off on a bad beginning, but Jester seems to take it with a dollop of sugar and winks.

“Thank you, Beau. You’re sweet,” She smoothly loops her arm through Beau’s and Beau is buzzing because their sides are suddenly pressed together, “Should we eat first or maybe…a ride? I may have, maybe, had cotton candy already. And two funnel cakes.”

The warmth in her voice and the sweet curl of her accent turns to a honey that drips so sweetly through Beau’s ears and sugars her tongue. It’s weird the effect of it. Beau is usually such a rough creature, even when she tries to be different, but Jester’s honey voice and cotton candy smiles melt her into something soft. The reduction of her stone makes it easy for a smile to lift Beau’s lips and a sincere answer to come from it.

“I’ve never been to a thing like this, so I don’t really know what there is to do.”

Jester curls fingers around her bicep in a light squeeze to accompany her slight gasp and she’s nearly vibrating with excitement, little hops making the tips of her hair bounce, “Oh my gosh, no way! I usually come here every year. Okay, okay, okay. Have you ever been on bumper cars? They are my favorite.”

“Nah. My parents didn’t really,” Beau waves around at the crowds and laughing children and slew of amusement rides, “this wasn’t their scene.”

“That’s lame.” Jester tugs them in a direction, weaving between people with ease. As they walk, random strangers light up when they spot Jester and wave or shout their greetings and Jester always offers a similar enthusiastic response. Some of them stop to ask her questions but Jester, politely, leads them away after an explanation that she’s on a date and would not like to be bothered. Beau watches it all with a budding interest, enjoying it even if it slows their progress down. Once they reach the long line for the oval shaped building full of zipping cars and laughter, Beau takes her chance to sate her curiosity.

“Are you, like, a celebrity or famous or something? ‘Cause, we can go somewhere more private, if you want.”

The way Jester’s eyes simmer with a sudden warmth and a certain kind of sauciness makes Beau’s knees suddenly weak. She bumps their hips together.

“Trying to take me home already, Beau?”

This Beau can work with. She tips her head back and grins cockily at her date, lifting a pierced brow, “I’m game if you are.”

Jester titters and Beau likes the way Jester’s eyes close when she laughs and her nose crinkles up. Her arm slides from Beaus, her hand moving down her arm to slip into Beau’s, their arms swinging back and forth between them.

“You’re kind of perfect, you know?” They move forward a few steps, but Beau hardly notices what with the compliment filling her head, all warm and fuzzy, and the softness of Jester’s hand pressed against her own. “But, oh, no. I’m not famous or anything. I don’t think so, anyway.”

“Then why does everyone know you?”

“’Cause of my Mama. She’s the mayor of Nicodranas. She’ll show up later for a little bit, maybe, if you wanna go see her. Or,” Pink fills the ridges of Jester’s cheeks and she tugs on a choppy strand of her hair, “maybe no. Maybe not meet my Mama on the first date.”

Oh fuck, she really is the cutest person Beau has ever met and if it’s because she’s at least a little nervous like Beau is then that helps.

“Sounds chill. Maybe after we do this thing.” Beau is showing the man her bracelet, so she doesn’t see the way Jester’s eyes soften or how her head tilts in contemplation. They get ushered onto the floor where all the multi colored cars on rails have been grouped together at the center. Beau follows Jester but her eyes catch the trail of children who just finished the ride, all giddy smiles and rosy cheeks. She glances behind her to see the new set of people funneling in to take a turn are—aside from Jester and herself—also children. She feels a tickle of heat against the back of her neck, slightly embarrassed.

“Jester, you didn’t tell me this ride was for _kids._ ”

Jester’s slow blink is not nearly as innocent as, Beau assumes, Jester intends it to be. She offers a little shrug, “If it was for kids, they wouldn’t have let us in. Just think, it’s an extra challenge. Smaller targets are harder to hit.”

Beau opens her mouth, but Jester shoves her towards a blue and silver car before choosing a green and orange one for herself. They strap themselves in and, when one of the workers stuffs a much too small helmet over her head, lights flicker on with an accompaniment of merry music composed of flutes and slide whistles. The cars jerk signaling the gift of power and Beau sits in her crowded car with a frown, watching Jester zip off and, instantly, slam into a child’s car. The little man inside jerks from the impact, neck whipping back then forward to smack into the little steering wheel. Jester’s bright peels of laughter mix with the little man’s complaints of cheating. Two cars come careening towards Beau and she barely has the frame of mind to force hers forward to escape the pincer maneuver. They slam into each other with Beau safely zooming away and, from across the room, Jester calls to her, “Nice!”

The rise of Beau’s competitive spirit is no surprise even if it is against a group of children, but it does come with a burst of joy that she wasn’t expecting. Grinning, she scans the room for the easiest target and guns for the kid that looks barely old enough for this ride. Jester is right. Smaller targets make for better sport. A few of them call to each other to team up and go after the adults and this only delights Jester who laughs and laughs, and Beau can’t remember having a better time. They get cornered beside one another with the children slamming into them from all sides. Jester grins over at her, tuffs of blue hair peeking from beneath her helmet, and says, “I think we lost.”

“It’s not your fault they went all fuckin’ Lord of the Flies on us.”

Either they run out of time or the man working the ride takes pity on them because the lights cut out and the music stops signaling the end of the ride. As they leave, Jester doesn’t hesitate to take her hand again but this time she links their fingers together. A thrill runs up her arm.

“So? Did you like it?” The earnestness in Jester’s voice is so incredibly endearing as if Beau not liking it would wound her.

“Yeah. I almost knocked that one kid out of the car I hit him so hard. It was hilarious.”

Jester nods, “It _was_ pretty funny. What do you wanna do now?”

“I dunno. Maybe we can eat now or go sit somewhere and wait for your Mom to show up and...maybe do the whole ‘get to know each other’ thing?”

A look crosses Jester’s face that is intense and somewhat pained, “Oh, shit, I got so excited for you to try—that’s _definitely_ what we should have done first.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” And then, because Jester still looks a little bummed with herself, she adds, “I’m super bad at dating so like this is already going way better than my dates usually go.”

It’s apparently the right thing to say because all the tension melts from Jester at once and her hand squeezes Beau’s, “Oh, _me too_. On my last date, I accidentally insulted him because I, ah, tried making a joke about a woman I saw to help with my nerves and it turned out to be his mother. He poured his wine on me when he got up ‘cause he bumped the table and then he left. With his mom.”

Beau winces in sympathy, “Oh that’s rough. But also, who brings their mom on a fucking date?”

“Apparently he lived with her and I was the first date he had gone on in a while and she was nervous for him.”

A laugh rises unbidden in Beau and, thankfully, rather than be insulted Jester joins in on the mirth. Then Jester’s laugh suddenly tapers off and her eyes widen before moving around them in a roving circle. Confused by the change, Beau follows her gaze to spot something abnormal but everything appears in its place aside from one teen stealing some little kid’s deep fried bread.

“What are you looking for you?”

“Just remembered something! Follow me!” Beau has no other choice considering their hands are still tethered and Jester hasn’t let go. They move through a crowed walkway that is created by booths on either side of which some promote games and the other wares. Jester doesn’t spare a moment of her attention even when they call out to her. Continuing on, they round the booths to a gradually sloping hill speckled with petaled weeds and couples milling about hand in hand. Spreading out at the base of it is a beautiful clear lake, sparkling from the array of torches staked into the shore. Circling at a pleasantly slow pace are a small number of paddle boats.

“You don’t get sick do you?” Jester is already tugging her down the hill to the wooden pier where a woman in a pants suit is sitting on a stool.

“Nah. I mean, it’s been a while but like it’s also just paddle boats so how bad could it be?” There is a single boat tethered to the pier that the woman is sat beside. When they approach, she tries to discretely hide the book she had been reading but Beau catches the cover art of two naked woman holding each other.

“Hello, are you two—oh, Miss Jester, good to see you.”

A surprised sound barely has time to reach Beau’s ears before Jester flies at the woman for a hug that looks slightly painful from how tight Jester squeezes. There is familiarity to the way Jester presses her face into the woman’s shoulder and how the woman touches the back of Jester’s head.

Beau rubs the shaved sides of her head to smooth down the little hairs before thrusting out her hand for the woman once Jester pulls away, “It’s nice to meet you. Beau is my name.”

Jester is kind to hide her laugh as a cough in her fist at how awkward Beau is. The woman shakes her hand but its with a skeptical look and a loose grip.

“Hello Beau. My name is Zala, I’m Mayor Lavorre’s assistant,” Zala turns her attention to Jester, “Your mother asked me to stay down here and save a boat for you after you called with news of your date. She also said good luck and wants to let you know she made reservations for dinner tonight at the usual place but understands if you can’t make it.” There is a pointed glance cast towards Beau but there is no heat within the look. Beau isn’t sure if she likes it any better than a glare would have been. Jester, though, delights in this with a pleased hum and tugs Beau off in the direction of the reserved boat.

“Thanks Zala! Love you!” The sugar in Jester’s tone leaves a sweetness in Zala’s headshake that can be nothing but deeply fond. She waves at them as they climb into the boat and Beau catches her tucking her book under her arm as she walks away. The boat rocks as they get in, little waves rippling out in long reaching circles. Jester is all eagerness, her hands flitting over everything she can touch and foot tapping against one of the pedals. She barely waits for Beau to settle before she’s pedaling, one of her hands searching for Beau and settling warmly over her forearm.

“You tell your Mom’s assistant you love her?” The question was sitting in her stomach for a while as they worked their way to the center of the lake. Beau had, foolishly, assumed that woman had been Jester’s mother despite very little resemblance hence the awkwardness proceeding the assumption.

“She’s been friends with Mama since before I was born. I’m, like, super sure they dated once but they both deny it like liars. That was way before my dad though. Mama doesn’t really date anymore,” There is a sudden distance in Jester’s gaze that is long and cold and full of heartbreak, but she comes back quickly, so quick its almost like she never left, “but anyway, she’s always been around. After Mama became mayor, Zala just sort of became her assistant without anyone asking but she’ll always be family first.”

“Ah gotcha,” And then because Beau has no self-restraint or sense of decorum, she asks, “what happened with your dad?”

Jester’s face darkens with that same long-stare and Beau immediately wishes she had Fjord there to keep her from continuing to stick her foot in her mouth.

“He walked out on Mama before I was born and, sorta, super broke her heart. Which was…hard and sad and rough. But its getting better now and,” Jester peers through a curtain of her hair and it’s the first time since Beau has met her that she has looked shy, “don’t tell my Mama but I actually, kind of, met him. Nott helped me track him down and we—Dad and me—have had lunch together a couple times. He said he wants to try with me but with Mama…” She trails off and its enough for Beau to know what isn’t said. There is something so broken in her tone and Beau can feel it resonate in her own shattered soul. She had seemed an endless font of joy and enthusiasm but, just like Beau, there is a shattered person beneath her candy shell.

“But, um,” Jester sniffs and rubs at her cheek, discretely trying to hide the single tear that had made a track down, “family drama on first dates isn’t fun or sexy so.” 

“Maybe,” Beau slings an arm over the back of the seats and Jester leans her head back against her bicep, “but also, maybe ‘cause you have’t been on a first date with me before. I am the queen of family drama. Honestly, it was pretty endearing.”

Jester’s nose scrunches up but there is a precious twinkle in her eye, “You’re kind of weird, Beau. But I like it. Also, I told you stuff about me so now it’s your turn.”

“That’s fair,” Beau gazes ahead as they coast along, giving up paddling for the moment to enjoy the view and the cool air coming off the lake, “what do you wanna know? All my childhood trauma too?”

“How ‘bout that can be on our second date,” Jester curls her fingertips over Beau’s that hang near her shoulder and tilts her head towards Beau and Beau is certain she’s in love already, “just, tell me anything.”

“I—” She feels a little breathless and it’s a hard moment for her to remember if a girl has ever made her feel that way before. She wants a second date. They’ve been on this date for almost a whole hour now and Beau hasn’t fucked it up yet. She wants a _second date_. “I know four different languages. I’m working on a fifth right now. I went to school for linguistics because languages are easy for me, but I dropped out in my last year because of family drama shit. I’m a martial artist too. I teach self-defense classes three times a week, but my main job is a snooze fest. Check it, I’m a _librarian_.”

Jester squints at her, looking over her piercings and flinty blue steel gaze and mostly shaved head, then nods. “I can see you being the super cool librarian that lets late fees slide.”

“Sometimes, if my boss isn’t hovering. It’s a pretty fucking huge library. The other day, some assholes thought they could get away with _fucking_ in the back racks. I heard them—she was _not_ quiet—and had to go over and be like, dude, fuckin’ knock it off.”

Jester snickers, “I would totally try that. Did you wait for them to finish before you went over?”

“No way. Those books are old and expensive. And I didn’t wanna figure out how to get ass sweat off them.”

“Boo. You’re boring.” But Jester looks nothing but delighted. Beau flicks her ear.

“What about you? What do you do?”

Jester wiggles in her seat so she can lean into Beau’s side, her head slotting comfortably against Beau’s neck. The sweet smell of Jester’s shampoo is distracting in the nicest way.

“I’m an animator. I started out working in cartoons, mostly for kids, but I did work on one for adults for a year. I used to hide dicks in the background just to see how long it would take them to catch on but also because it was hilarious. But for the last few years I’ve been working for a pretty good company that makes top quality video games. I like it a lot more. Hm…oh! I’ve got a dog! And also a weasel! Wanna see?” Before Beau can give an answer, Jester has already produced a phone from seemingly thin air and pulls up photos of a sleek dog in fancy clothes and a red tube of fur wearing a bow tie. She flips through one after the other—Sprinkle curled around Jester’s shoulder’s, Nugget sitting patiently while Sprinkle climbs on him, Nugget at the park wearing matching sunglasses with Jester—until she flips to a photo of herself dressed in a bumble gum pink suit and cowgirl boots.

“Oh that’s it.” She tries to pull it away, but Beau snatches the phone before she can.

“No, hold the fuck up. You look _hot_. Damn, Jester,” Beau pinches the screen to zoom in on Jester’s immaculate makeup, “You look _really_ hot.”

“I know, right? That was for Mama’s ceremony for some award. That she totally won by the way.”

Beau flicks to the next picture which is another cute selfie of Jester, “Has anyone told you that you’re a catch?”

“Literally everyone.” She says with a cheeky smile. Beau hands the phone back with a heart that’s beating fast and full of a scary hope for more moments like this. Jester drops the phone into her lap without taking her eyes off Beau, long lashes fluttering slowly and enticingly. “Hey Beau? Wanna kiss?”

Beau licks her lips in anticipation and, rather than answer, moves her hand to Jester’s nape and pulls her into a kiss. There is still the taste of powered sugar on Jester’s lips from the funnel cake she had earlier that Beau collects with the tip of her tongue. Jester hums, pleased, and curls her bejeweled fingers around Beau’s jaw. They are startlingly cold.

“Oh—dude, you want my jacket? You’re _freezing_.”

“Wha… no I—wait. Yes, I want your jacket. Gimmi.” Jester makes cute grabby hands that Beau finds she can’t resist. They separate, and shimmy and Beau helps her slip into the stiff denim sleeves, lifting her hair from beneath the lapels and brushing a strand behind her ear. Jester beams. “Do I look cute?”

“Duh. We should probably head back so you can warm up though.”

Jester snorts and leans against Beau again, slipping her hand into one of Beau’s and twining their fingers, “I’m not cold at all Beau, I just have poor circulation,” She pauses, her thumb swiping over Beau’s knuckles, “You’re super cute and this date has been awesome, and the kiss was ten out of ten and I really, really wanna go on another date with you. So, say yes to me asking you out again.”

A slow smile blooms across her face when she thinks about doing this again—maybe at a restaurant or somewhere less _public_ —and if she’s lucky, more times after that. Jester is an easy person to get along with, a beam of sunshine in this shitty world and Beau would love to just sit in its warmth.

“I mean, you know I’m gonna say yes, so just tell me when and where.”

Jester tilts her head back against Beau’s shoulder to offer a saucy wiggle of her eyebrows, “How about that library of yours? I hear the back racks are a hot spot for a fun time.”

Beau’s spine prickles with a rush of heat, “If you wanna do that, I’ve got a perfectly good bed.”

“Bet mine is better. And closer. Wanna see?”

Fjord is right. Jester is a dream and if they get through three dates without Beau proposing, it will be a miracle. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know if you liked it. And yes, I created Zala just so Marion could have someone who didn't totally break her heart once.


End file.
